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Audio & StereoTechnical discussions about factory or aftermarket audio and video systems.
This is a discussion thread titled "DIY: MAJOR MOD: NAV hacks / Entertainment System", within the Audio & Stereo forum, part of the Technical & Vehicle Assistance Forums category.
NAV Hacks & Entertainment System Mod
2007 Tundra Double Cab 5.7L V8 w/Factory NAV & JBL Audio System
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
I just built and installed a custom entertainment system which includes a toggle switch panel with 7 switches, a video sequencer, a portable DVD player, and a scanner. Everything was installed inside the center console taking up less than 1/3 of the original space so there is still plenty of room to spare for normal cargo. The toggle switches and components are connected to the factory NAV, JBL audio, and vehicle circuits to provide the following features:
Enhanced control of the NAV display mode: The built in NAV functions for controlling the display mode are cumbersome and are tied to the headlights so this feature allows you to set the display mode manually regardless of vehicle or headlight status. This toggle switch has three modes: Day (white background), Night (black background), or Factory (toggled based on NAV settings).
Second AUX input cable inside the center console which terminates with a 1/8” stereo mini plug: You just insert the plug into any portable audio device such as an MP3 player, DVD player, scanner, or anything else with a standard headphone jack. The AUX jack in the dash still works normally but you can only use one of the input jacks at a time. A toggle switch and potentiometer were required to activate the NAV AUX input circuit which is normally only activated when something is plugged into the dash jack.
Enable all NAV functions regardless of vehicle status including address book, phone dialing, destinations, etc: Works even while the vehicle is in motion. This toggle switch has two modes: Factory (NAV functions disabled when in motion) or Bypass (NAV functions enabled).
Activate the NAV video display any time regardless of vehicle status and enable display of multiple video sources: The NAV video input was re-routed to the center console and plugged into a video sequencer device which provides 4 total video inputs. The first video source is the tailgate camera, the second and third sources are color night vision blind-spot cameras (to be added soon), and the fourth source is a portable DVD player inside the center console. The video sequencer has controls to lock on to any of the 4 video sources individually or to scroll through any combination of video sources automatically based on a timed delay. The delay interval can be set from 2-60 seconds. The NAV video display toggle switch has three modes: Factory (video only comes on when vehicle is in reverse), On (video is always on regardless of vehicle status), or Off (no video display at all). There are two additional toggle switches to control power to the video sequencer and DVD player individually. The video sequencer power can be set to Auto (switched with ignition), On (always powered even when truck is off), or Off (never powered). The DVD audio can be patched into the JBL system via the second AUX input wire mentioned above and it really sounds sweet!
Portable scanner installed in the center console with Police, Fire, Weather, etc: This is pre-programmed with all local and state frequencies and contains rechargeable batteries so it can be removed for mobile use or programming. The toggle switch controls power to the scanner and the audio can be patched into the JBL system via the second AUX input wire mentioned above.
Approximately 8’ length of good quality CAT5 ethernet cable with 8 stranded copper conductors, used to tap into NAV connectors in the dash and run down to center console, had a spare cable laying around the house
Approximately 8’ length of composite video cable with RCA male plug on both end, $4.00 (Qty. 2)
Approximately 8’ length of stereo headphone cable with 1/8” stereo mini plug, the thicker kind with full shielding and stranded copper conductors, preferably right-angle plug, $6
Approximately 30’ of two-conductor 18-20 awg wire, stranded copper conductors, black is best for concealment, not shielded, $4.00
Pelco VS5104 video sequencer,ebay, $25.00 (any similar switcher will work but make sure it will run on 12V DC)
Coby TF-DVD7050 portable DVD player, amazon, $104.99
Pro-89 200-channel scanner, Radio Shack part # 20-514, $25 at clearance outlet (discontinued)
DC power cords for video sequencer, DVD player, scanner (usually included with the product or you can cut the tip off of the AC adapter and make your own with the black two-conductor wire)
Note: tools and misc. supplies such as electrical tape and wire tap connectors are not listed above.
INSTALLATION:
Remove the center console inserts, dash panels, and NAV unit.
Run the CAT5 and composite video cables from behind the NAV down to the center console area.
Connect the CAT5 and composite video cables to the factory NAV wires.
Run the stereo cable from behind the Dash AUX jack down to center console area.
Connect the stereo cable to the Dash AUX jack.
Connect the power cables to the appropriate sources in the center console area.
Drill two 9/16” holes in the front wall of the center console, one in the middle about 3” down from the file hanger bracket and the other in the bottom left corner.
Run the CAT5 and power cables into the top hole.
Run the video, stereo, and power cables into the bottom hole.
Remove the inside ridges and short support columns from the project enclosure box with a cutter or razor knife, do not remove the tall support columns.
Drill a 9/16” hole in the bottom left corner of the back wall of the project enclosure box.
Drill 7 equally spaced holes in the top edge of the project enclosure box. Mini switches require a 1/4” hole and micro-mini switches require a 3/16” hole.
Drill 7 equally spaced 3/32” holes on the bottom edge of the project enclosure box right next to the switch holes. These are for the washer tabs which will lock the switches in place once the nuts are tightened.
Attach the terminal wiring strip block to the bottom middle of the back wall of the project enclosure box using super glue.
Run the wires from the top console hole into the back of the project enclosure box.
Connect the wires to the switches and install the switches one at a time starting with the switch in the top right of the project enclosure box.
Attach the lid to the project enclosure box and mount it to the front wall of the center console with 3M accessory tape or strong velcro.
Install and connect the video sequencer, DVD player, and scanner.
Test everything out one wire and function at a time.
Reinstall the center console inserts.
Remove all tools and vacuum up any loose debris.
TIPS:
Whenever possible leave the vehicle turned off and disconnect the power while connecting the wiring.
Route wires carefully and conceal with wire ties and electrical tape to make them virtually undetectable in case you ever have to take the vehicle in for warranty service.
Solder the wire connections and use heat shrink tubing whenever possible but be careful not to burn yourself or the vehicle interior.
You might consider building the switch box and soldering all the wires to it outside the vehicle first and then running the wires up to the NAV, AUX jack, power sources, etc. I didn’t do this because I wasn’t sure how to wire everything until half way through the project. I wasn’t even sure some of these mods would work until after I had debugged them during the install process. As soon as I found a solution that worked then I added it to the project so everything was wired on an ad-hoc basis with numerous circuit diagram changes made on the fly.
Test each source wire and wiring connection at least twice with a multi-meter before and after every connection to be sure it is correct.
Take your time for a clean professional install. I did mine over 3 days with about 12 hours total labor but it would probably take an experienced installer about half that time assuming that they follow the same process.
RESULTS:
This project turned out great, much better than I initially planned. It is so cool to be able to watch DVD on the dash display when waiting in a parking lot, or for the passenger to watch a movie on long trips, or for the driver to check the tailgate camera during normal driving to verify the hitch is still connected and working properly, or to spot how close that tailgater really is to your bumper, or to get the front license plate number of the car behind you. etc. etc. The blind-spot cameras which I am adding soon will really put the icing on the cake and should make the vehicle much safer, especially when towing a trailer.
It is also awesome to have an audio device playing from inside the center console with no patch cables to get in the way. The scanner comes in handy for monitoring police, traffic, weather, etc. especially on long trips. Yes, I know it can be illegal in some places to use a mobile scanner but mine is removable and wouldn’t be visible unless the vehicle is searched anyway, in which case I probably have bigger problems. All the center console components can be removed in less than 30 seconds if you need to replace them, lock them up, or if you just want to use the full center console for other gear.
The only downside to this mod is that the NAV displays the "Check surroundings for safety" disclaimer at the bottom of the video screen regardless of which video source is selected. This is easily ignored but I am looking for a way to disable the disclaimer, replace it with a blank text string, or find an alternate video input.
I will post PICS and a wiring diagram soon. Let me know if you have any ideas for further improvements.
Note: I receive many messages about the NAV Speed Pulse Generator so I continue to build them for people on request. If you want one then just PM me via this forum and include your email address.
Last edited by wileetundra; 07-25-2007 at 12:04 AM.
I don't see the step in the installation where you tap into the nav wires to install the motion bypass so allow all functions to work while in motion ... can you explain?
I don't see the step in the installation where you tap into the nav wires to install the motion bypass so allow all functions to work while in motion ... can you explain?
The wiring diagram will answer this question. I am working on it and should be able to post it with the pics, maybe tomorrow or Thursday night. Basically I connected all wires to the NAV in step 3 so you just need to see the diagram. Coming soon...
Note: I receive many messages about the NAV Speed Pulse Generator so I continue to build them for people on request. If you want one then just PM me via this forum and include your email address.
Thank you very much for sharing this with us. I have been keeping an eye out for this post for some time, once again thank you. Looking forward in seeing the pictures.
The wiring diagram will answer this question. I am working on it and should be able to post it with the pics, maybe tomorrow or Thursday night. Basically I connected all wires to the NAV in step 3 so you just need to see the diagram. Coming soon...
Perfect, greatly anticipating! Thank you for your efforts in sharing!!!
Price is around $229 according to C&D. They had to disassemble a good portion of the dash to install it too. I am not sure if they have a model yet for the Tundra.
Price is around $229 according to C&D. They had to disassemble a good portion of the dash to install it too. I am not sure if they have a model yet for the Tundra.
re.ac.tor
Unfortunately they don't have anything for the 2007 Tundra and when I spoke with them back in April they weren't even planning on working on it. They might get around to it eventually but for now I think we are limited to hardware mods. Fortunately I have done most of what I wanted with this mod. The only thing I still need to do is remove the disclaimer messages from startup and the video screen, otherwise I am happy as-is.
Note: I receive many messages about the NAV Speed Pulse Generator so I continue to build them for people on request. If you want one then just PM me via this forum and include your email address.
I converted my crudely drawn and often-modified wiring diagrams from chicken scratch on smudged scrap paper into an Excel spreadsheet so you could actually read the info. Some of you don't have Excel so I also saved a snapshot of the data as JPG images which you should be able to zoom in for viewing or printing on a color printer.
First a disclaimer: I am not a Toyota engineer, factory technician, or a miracle worker. I do know quite a bit about electronics and I have learned a lot about NAV hacking from the web and various experiments over the past few months. Like the real Wile E Coyote, however, my projects often involve significant risk and more often than not they end in partial or complete disaster so I experimented on my own truck with great caution. Before you attempt a similar project you should consider that a new NAV unit, JBL system, ECU, combination meter, etc. could set you back thousands of dollars at your local dealership if this info is wrong or if you botch the install. Just like the Acme Company I offer no warranties or guarantees whatsoever. This information could be inaccurate or incomplete so proceed at your own risk. You have been warned.
Note: I receive many messages about the NAV Speed Pulse Generator so I continue to build them for people on request. If you want one then just PM me via this forum and include your email address.
I have been testing this mod over the past few days to make sure it holds up under all sorts of different usage scenarios and combinations. Everything works fine however I found two glitches which I am working to resolve. Any help or alternate solutions would be appreciated.
When the bypass switch is used to enable the NAV functions while the vehicle is in motion, it works like a charm and all the functions are immediately made available. Unfortunately they only stay enabled for roughly 30-40 seconds and then they are disabled again even though the switch remains in the bypass mode. I can flip the switch back to factory mode for 5 or more seconds and flip it back to bypass mode for another 30-40 seconds of functionality but it always resets eventually. I did a lot of research on this and it appears that the NAV unit is looking for a consistent speed pulse signal from the CAN network. When the bypass switch is first thrown the pulse signal disappears completely and the NAV assumes you stopped so it enables all the functions, but then it eventually sees that you are still moving (probably from the GPS) so it disables the functions again. I assume the 30-40 second delay is programmed into the software to give the speed pulse signal enough time to return before reverting to the GPS speed input which is adequate but generally less accurate than the pulse method. I tried working around this by feeding a fixed voltage into the pulse circuit on the NAV and I varied the voltage to match the real pulse signal when the vehicle was stopped, however this doesn't work any better than removing the pulse signal altogether. Further research indicates that the CAN network is most likely broadcasting a digital pulse signal at the 1hz level so there isn't a quick or easy way to duplicate that (at least not that I am aware of). You can purchase pulse generators for various NAV systems but they are designed to provide the true vehicle speed and not a fake pulse. I am currently thinking of ways to build my own pulse generator or dummy circuit which will emit the same signal as the valid pulse when the vehicle is stopped. Before I do that I am going to try connecting a new input to an unused pin on the NAV which I believe is normally used for the Parking Brake signal in Denso NAV units that are made for other vehicles. It is likely that the Parking Brake sensor circuit and software is present in our NAV unit but Toyota didn't include a wire or pin for it in the vehicle harness since they don't use that function in our vehicle configuration. If this works then the NAV is likely to enable all functions when it sees the Parking Brake signal, which should be easy to emulate since it is most likely just a line to vehicle ground.
When enabling the video input while driving it works great and you can watch the tailgate camera, DVD player for passengers, or whatever. While the video input is enabled, if you select other functions like the MAP, Audio, or Phone then the video screen disappears to show the selected functions. Unfortunately I can’t find a way to switch back to the video signal again unless I re-toggle the video input switch which is easy enough to do but it is a pain especially if you get a lot of calls while driving. This could be greatly minimized for my usage scenario if I could find a way to disable the automatic switch to cell phone display when a call is made or answered, however I haven’t found a setting for that in the NAV. There is a setting not to auto-switch the display and I have it turned off but the phone screen still pops up whenever I make or take a call. I am not sure what to do about this one but I am sending away to Acme for a planning book.
Also, good news on the “Check surroundings for safety” disclaimer mentioned in the original post above. I downloaded a binary file editor and scanned every file on the NAV DVD for this text string. The only file which contains the text is the ever-popular Loading.KWI which is the main firmware. I was able to edit the file to replace the text string with a blank text string (all spaces) so now I just need to burn a new NAV DVD and see if I can get the modified firmware to load. If it works as I am hoping then the disclaimer will now be invisible. Any other ideas or tech info for this or related issues would be appreciated. I can also use some testers to scan the wiring info and let me know if anything is missing or confusing. Pictures will come soon, I have to take some more since I had the focus mode set wrong and many pics taken during the install did not turn out.
Note: I receive many messages about the NAV Speed Pulse Generator so I continue to build them for people on request. If you want one then just PM me via this forum and include your email address.
DIY: MAJOR MOD: NAV hacks / Entertainment System
Re: MAJOR MOD: NAV hacks / Entertainment System
Linear Mode
